The Ministry of Coal has notified Coal Blocks Allocation Rules, 2017. The coal ministry has deferred indefinitely the fifth round of captive coal block auctions citing lack of demand from steel makers, despite a request from the steel ministry to continue the bidding for interested firms. The ministry has issued a notification to the prospective bidders that the demo e-auction and the e-reverse auction (financial bidding) will not take place as scheduled. It had last year annulled the fourth round of coal mine auctions due to lack of adequate number of bidders.